Systems and methods for providing high data throughput in 6 ghz wi-fi network

ABSTRACT

A method for allowing wireless communication between an access point and a wireless station in a wireless communication network includes: providing at least one from a combination of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequency band; providing a frequency band including a 6 GHz frequency band for allowing wireless data communication; assigning a first data communication channel having a first frequency bandwidth in the frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band between the access point and the wireless station; and transmitting data packets between the access point and the wireless station via the first data communication channel in the frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band. Each of the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band includes a plurality of subchannels having a first base frequency bandwidth of 20 MHz, and the frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band includes a plurality of subchannels having a second base frequency bandwidth that is larger than the first base frequency bandwidth.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/616,869, entitled METHOD OF UTILIZING THE 6GHZ FREQUENCY BAND FORNEXT GEN WI-FI STANDARD, filed Jan. 12, 2018, and U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/731,705, entitled METHOD OF UTILIZING THE 6GHZFREQUENCY BAND FOR NEXT GEN WI-FI STANDARD, filed Sep. 14, 2018, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems andmethods and, in particular, to a wireless communication system andmethod for providing high data throughput in a 6 GHz Wi-Fi network.

BACKGROUND

Wireless local area networks (WLANs) implemented using the Institute ofElectrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards are widelyused for enabling wireless communication between wireless devices inhome and office environments and for providing wireless devices with anaccess to the Internet without connecting wires. The IEEE 802.11 is aset of wireless computer networking standards (also referred to as Wi-Fistandards) for implementing Ethernet-based WLAN computer communicationin specified frequency bands, such as the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands.The IEEE 802.11 standards define rules for configuring an Ethernet-basednetwork as well as the connectivity and protocols of constituent networkequipment and wireless devices in the Ethernet-based network. Byadhering to the IEEE 802.11 standards, the network equipment and thewireless devices can communicate efficiently.

In general, a WLAN include a plurality of wireless devices, alsoreferred to as wireless stations or wireless clients. The wirelessstations may be mobile devices, such as a mobile phone, a tabletcomputer, or a laptop computer. In other cases, the wireless stationsmay be secondary devices such as a printer or a desktop computer. Thewireless stations can communicate directly with each other on a wirelesschannel in a so-called “ad-hoc” network. Alternately, the wirelessstations may communicate through a base station, also referred to as anaccess point (AP) in a so-called “infrastructure-based” network.

Currently, WLANs implementing the IEEE 802.11 standards operate in 2.4GHz and/or 5 GHz frequency bands. The 2.4 GHz frequency band extendsfrom 2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz, and the 5 GHz frequency band extends from5.15 GHz to 5.825 GHz. Recently, the United States and other countriesconsider using a 6 GHz frequency band (e.g., 5.925-6.425 GHz) as anunlicensed frequency spectrum to provide an additional frequencyspectrum to the current 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz frequency bands to meet theever increasing demands of (Wi-Fi) Internet traffic. Since the 6 GHzfrequency band is adjacent to the 5 GHz frequency band (one of theUnlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII) frequency bands)that is heavily used by 802.11 wireless networks, the 6 GHz frequencyband can be advantageously applied to enhance the Wi-Fi performance ofWLANs. The IEEE 802.11ax standard is being developed as thespecification for the next generation of WLANs, which includesoperations in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The IEEE802.11ax is designed to enhance efficiency of Wi-Fi traffic for densescenarios with modest improvement over a peak data rate.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure discloses a device and method for controlling aconnected device in a mobile device, substantially as shown in and/ordescribed below, for example in connection with at least one of thefigures, as set forth more completely in the claims.

These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the presentdisclosure, as well as details of an illustrated embodiment thereof,will be more fully understood from the following description anddrawings.

According to one embodiment, a method for allowing wirelesscommunication between an access point and a wireless station in awireless communication network includes: providing at least one from acombination of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequency band;providing a frequency band including a 6 GHz frequency band for allowingwireless data communication; assigning a first data communicationchannel having a first frequency bandwidth in the frequency bandincluding the 6 GHz frequency band between the access point and thewireless station; and transmitting data packets between the access pointand the wireless station via the first data communication channel in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band. Each of the 2.4 GHzfrequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band includes a plurality ofsubchannels having a first base frequency bandwidth of 20 MHz, and thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band includes a pluralityof subchannels having a second base frequency bandwidth that is largerthan the first base frequency bandwidth.

According to another embodiment, a wireless data communication systemincludes: an access point; and a wireless station capable ofcommunicating with the access point. The wireless communication systemprovides at least one of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequencyband for allowing wireless data communication between the access pointand the wireless station, and wherein each of the 2.4 GHz frequency bandand the 5 GHz frequency band includes a plurality of subchannels havinga first base frequency bandwidth of 20 MHz. The wireless communicationsystem further provides a frequency band including a 6 GHz frequencyband for allowing wireless data communication between the access pointand the wireless station, and wherein the frequency band including the 6GHz frequency band includes a plurality of subchannels having a secondbase frequency bandwidth that is larger than the first base frequencybandwidth. The wireless communication system assigns a first datacommunication channel having a first frequency bandwidth in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band between the accesspoint and the wireless station. The wireless communication systemtransmits data packets between the access point and the wireless stationvia the first data communication channel in the frequency band includingthe 6 GHz frequency band.

The above and other preferred features, including various novel detailsof implementation and combination of events, will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying figures andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particularsystems and methods described herein are shown by way of illustrationonly and not as limitations. As will be understood by those skilled inthe art, the principles and features described herein may be employed invarious and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included as part of the presentspecification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiment andtogether with the general description given above and the detaileddescription of the preferred embodiment given below serve to explain andteach the principles described herein.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating an environment in which thepresent wireless communication systems and methods can be appliedaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless device according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 3A illustrates an example channelization of the 2.4 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3B illustrates an example channelization of the 5 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3C illustrates an example channelization of the 6 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for configuring frequency bands of a wirelessdevice in a wireless communication network including the 6 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates several modes for implementing and utilizing a 320MHz bandwidth channel in a wireless communication network according toone embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for using the 320 MHz bandwidth channel in variousmodes according to some embodiments;

FIG. 7 illustrates examples of flexible band aggregation according tosome embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for selecting a primary channel to a wirelessstation according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for assigning station-specific primary channels toa plurality of wireless stations according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10A illustrates an example of a synchronous multiple band datatransmission scheme according to one embodiment;

FIG. 10B illustrates an example of an asynchronous multiple frequencyband transmission scheme according to one embodiment;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of using separate uplink and downlinkchannels in separate frequency bands according to one embodiment;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of providing separate channels fortransmitting management and data frames in separate frequency bandsaccording to one embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart for enabling an access point to communicate onmultiple frequency bands in a single BSS according to one embodiment;and

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for enabling a wireless station to communicate onmultiple frequency bands in a single BSS according to one embodiment.

The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and elements of similarstructures or functions are generally represented by like referencenumerals for illustrative purposes throughout the figures. The figuresare only intended to facilitate the description of the variousembodiments described herein. The figures do not describe every aspectof the teachings disclosed herein and do not limit the scope of theclaims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Each of the features and teachings disclosed herein can be utilizedseparately or in conjunction with other features and teachings toprovide a wireless communication system and method for providing highdata throughput using a 6 GHz frequency bandwidth in addition to a 2.4GHz or 5 GHz frequency band. Representative examples utilizing many ofthese additional features and teachings, both separately and incombination, are described in further detail with reference to theattached figures. This detailed description is merely intended to teacha person of skill in the art further details for practicing aspects ofthe present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of theclaims. Therefore, combinations of features disclosed above in thedetailed description may not be necessary to practice the teachings inthe broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to describeparticularly representative examples of the present teachings.

In the description below, for purposes of explanation only, specificnomenclature is set forth to provide a thorough understanding of thepresent disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in theart that these specific details are not required to practice theteachings of the present disclosure.

Some portions of the detailed descriptions herein are presented in termsof algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bitswithin a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions andrepresentations are used by those skilled in the data processing arts toeffectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be aself-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The stepsare those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities.Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form ofelectrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred,combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenientat times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to thesesignals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers,or the like.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise as apparent from the below discussion, itis appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizingterms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,”“displaying,” or the like, refer to the action and processes of acomputer system, or similar electronic computing device, thatmanipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic)quantities within the computer system's registers and memories intoother data similarly represented as physical quantities within thecomputer system memories or registers or other such information storage,transmission or display devices.

The algorithms presented herein are not inherently related to anyparticular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems,computer servers, or personal computers may be used with programs inaccordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient toconstruct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required methodsteps. The required structure for a variety of these systems will appearfrom the description below. It will be appreciated that a variety ofprogramming languages may be used to implement the teachings of thedisclosure as described herein.

Moreover, the various features of the representative examples and thedependent claims may be combined in ways that are not specifically andexplicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodimentsof the present teachings. It is also expressly noted that all valueranges or indications of groups of entities disclose every possibleintermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of an originaldisclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimedsubject matter. It is also expressly noted that the dimensions and theshapes of the components shown in the figures are designed to help tounderstand how the present teachings are practiced, but not intended tolimit the dimensions and the shapes shown in the examples.

The current-generation Wi-Fi standard uses a common channel to transmitmanagement and data frames. In a congested environment, managementframes such as beacon or probe request/response frames can consumewireless medium and resultantly can degrade data throughput. Inaddition, the current-generation Wi-Fi standard uses a common channelfor uplink (station to access point) and downlink (access point tostation), and therefore the transmission range is limited by thetransmission range of the uplink because the transmit power of thestation is typically much lower than the transmit power of the accesspoint.

In the United States and other countries, a 6 GHz frequency band (e.g.,5.925-7.125 GHz) is being considered for an unlicensed spectrum that canbe used for Wi-Fi. According to embodiments of the present disclosure,wireless communication systems and methods provide wirelesscommunication in a 6 GHz frequency band together with 2.4 and 5 GHzfrequency bands to enhance the throughput performance and reliability ofWi-Fi data communication. The present disclosure can contribute todefine the next generation Wi-Fi standard after the IEEE 802.11axstandard.

The current IEEE 802.11ax standard focuses on the enhancement to theefficiency of Wi-Fi traffic for dense scenarios. In a typical operatingenvironment, the peak physical layer (PHY) rate of the IEEE 802.11axstandard is incrementally increased by just 1.4 times compared to theprevious generation IEEE 802.11ac standard. However, the IEEE 802.11axstandard is not designed to specifically improve the Wi-Fi performancein terms of the peak PHY rate.

According to one embodiment, the present wireless systems and methodsutilize a 6 GHz frequency band as a high-throughput data link togetherwith the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency band links. The range of the 6 GHzfrequency band may slightly deviate from the currently consideredfrequency band, i.e., 5.925-7.125 GHz range, and it may vary dependingon the definition of the next-generation Wi-Fi standard.

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods define awider channelization (e.g., 80 MHz) in the 6 GHz frequency band comparedto 20 MHz channelization in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency band. The 80 MHzchannelization of the 6 GHz frequency band may avoid a coexistenceproblem between 20, 40, and 80 MHz signals in the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequencyband, and thus it can have a more efficient medium access forhigh-throughput applications.

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods define anew 320 MHz operation mode utilizing the 6 GHz frequency band or both 5and 6 GHz frequency bands. The 320 MHz operation mode can double thepeak PHY rate in comparison with the IEEE 802.11ac standard.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating an environment in which thepresent wireless communication systems and methods can be appliedaccording to one embodiment. A wireless communication system 10 includesan access point (AP) 12 that may communicate with one or more wirelessstations (STAs) 14. The wireless communication system 10 can be awireless local area network (WLAN) implemented using any of the IEEE802.11 standards. The access point 12 can communicate with one or morewireless stations 14 with which it is associated using a shared localarea network protocol and over one or more shared frequency spectrumband. For example, the access point 12 and the wireless stations 14 maycommunicate in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, the 5 GHz frequency band, the6 GHz band, or any combination of these frequency bands. In actualimplementations, a WLAN may include one or more access pointscommunicating to a large number of wireless stations.

In the present disclosure, the wireless station 14 is also referred toas a station or a wireless client. For example, the wireless station 14may be a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or alaptop computer. In other examples, the wireless station 14 may be asecondary device such as a printer or a desktop computer. The wirelessstations 14 in the wireless communication network can communicatedirectly with each other on a wireless channel in an ad-hoc network. Inaddition, the wireless stations 14 may communicate through an accesspoint, herein also referred to as a base station, in aninfrastructure-based network. The access point 12 may be connected to adata network, such as the Internet, and enables a wireless station 14 tocommunicate with other nodes (e.g., other wireless stations 14) oraccess the data network.

In the present disclosure, access points and wireless stations in a WLANmay be referred to collectively as wireless communication devices orwireless devices. In a typical configuration, a wireless communicationdevice includes a transceiver (transmitter/receiver) that converts radiosignals received on an antenna into digital signals and processors forprocessing data packets.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a wireless device according to oneembodiment. It is understood that FIG. 2 is only representative of ageneric wireless device and that in actual implementations, the wirelessdevice may use various configurations and include other elements notshown in FIG. 2. A wireless device 20 may be configured as an accesspoint 12 or a wireless station 14 shown in FIG. 1. The wireless device20 may include one or more antennas 23 that are coupled to a radiofrequency (RF) front end 22. A receiver circuit 24 and a transmittercircuit 26 are coupled to the RF front end 22 and receive signals fromand transmit signals to the antennas 23.

The wireless device 20 includes a processor 30 for controlling theoperation of the wireless device 20. The processor 30 executesinstructions 33 to perform various operations for receiving andtransmitting data packets. The processor 30 may be in communication witha system bus 28. Through the system bus 28, the processor 30 cancommunicate with one or more system components of the wireless station20. For example, the wireless station 20 may include a memory 32 forstoring the instructions 33 and other data, a display 34, and an I/Ointerface 36 for interfacing with a user or for providing a status tothe user.

When configured as an access point, the wireless device 20 may bearranged to establish connection to one or more wireless stations,process resource allocation requests received from the associatedwireless stations, and transmit data packets to and receive data packetsfrom the associated wireless stations. When configured as a wirelessstations, the wireless device 20 may be arranged to establish connectionto another wireless device, such as an access point or another wirelessstation, and transmit and receive data packets.

In embodiments of the present disclosure, the wireless communicationsystems and methods are configured to utilize the 6 GHz frequency bandtogether with the 2.4 GHz frequency band and/or the 5 GHz frequency bandthat are defined in the IEEE 801.11ac standard. In one embodiment, the 6GHz frequency band as defined herein may cover a range between 5.925 GHzand 7.125 GHz. However, the range of the 6 GHz frequency band mayslightly deviate from the 5.925-7.125 GHz range, and it may vary withoutdeviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

According to one embodiment, the present wireless communication systemsand methods may implement various channelization and operation rules forutilizing the 6 GHz frequency band with the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencybands that are defined in the IEEE 801.11ac standard to increase datathroughput and improve network performance. In some embodiments, theWLAN 10 of FIG. 1 implements the wireless communication systems andmethods described herein to facilitate data transmission between theaccess point 12 and the wireless stations 14.

(1) Wide Channelization for High Throughput Link

According to one embodiment, the present wireless communication systemsand methods are used for data transmission in a wireless local areanetwork. The present wireless communication systems and methodsimplement a channelization scheme where transmission in the 6 GHzfrequency band uses a first base frequency bandwidth that is wider thana second base frequency bandwidth that is used in the 2.4 GHz and/or 5GHz frequency bands. The total operation bandwidth in the 6 GHzfrequency band may not be wider than that in the 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHzfrequency bands. For example, a 160 MHz bandwidth channel in the 5 GHzfrequency band and a 80 MHz bandwidth channel in the 6 GHz frequencyband may be used. More specifically, the present wireless communicationsystems and methods allows transmission and receipt of data packets inthe 6 GHz frequency band using frequency channels having the firstchannel bandwidth, and transmits and receives data packets in the 2.4GHz and/or 5 GHz frequency bands using frequency channels having thesecond channel bandwidth.

In general, data communication over a wireless communication link iscarried out in a channel bandwidth of the corresponding frequency band.In the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands, the base unit of the channelbandwidth is 20 MHz, but 40 MHz and 80 MHz signal bandwidths are alsosupported by bonding two or more 20 MHz channels. While the channelbonding can increase a PHY rate, it also creates a coexistence problembetween the 20 MHz and 40/80 MHz signals.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example channelization of the 2.4 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment. The 2.4 GHz frequency band has a basechannel bandwidth 40. In one embodiment, the base channel bandwidth 40is 20 MHz. The 2.4 GHz frequency band supports both 20 MHz and 40 MHzsignal bandwidths channels by bonding two base 20 MHz channels.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example channelization of the 5 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment. The 5 GHz frequency band has a basechannel bandwidth 42. In one embodiment, the base channel bandwidth 42is 20 MHz. The 5 GHz frequency band supports 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and160 MHz signal bandwidths channels by bonding two or four base 20 MHzchannels.

FIG. 3C illustrates an example channelization of the 6 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment. The 6 GHz frequency band has a basechannel bandwidth 44 that is wider that the base channel widths 40 and42 of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. The 6 GHz frequency bandsupports both 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz signal bandwidths channels bybonding two or four base 80 MHz channels.

According to one embodiment, the 6 GHz frequency band is used forhigh-throughput applications that need frequent access to wide channels(e.g., 80 MHz or greater). The wider channel bandwidth 44 is used as abase unit for the channelization in the 6 GHz frequency band so that thehigh-throughput applications can have easier access to the wide channelswithout blocked by narrower bandwidth signals and eliminate thecoexistence problem between 20, 40, and 80 MHz channels.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart 50 for configuring frequency bands of a wirelessdevice in a wireless communication network including the 6 GHz frequencyband according to one embodiment. A user configures the wireless deviceand the wireless communication network to use at least two frequencybands including the 6 GHz frequency band (at 52). The first frequencyband including the 2.4 GHz frequency band and/or the 5 GHz frequencyband is selected (at 54). In addition, the second frequency band, i.e.,the 6 GHz frequency band is selected (at 56). It is understood that theselection order of the first frequency band and the second frequencyband may be changed, i.e., the first frequency band is selected in the 6GHz frequency band, and the second frequency band is selected in the 2.4GHz frequency band and/or the 5 GHz frequency bands. Alternatively, theselection of the first frequency band and the second frequency band maybe made concurrently or independently. The 2.4 GHz frequency band has abase channel bandwidth of 20 MHz but can support both 20 MHz and 40 MHzsignal bandwidths channels by bonding two base 20 MHz channels. The 5GHz frequency band has a base channel bandwidth of 20 MHz as well andcan support 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHZ, and 160 MHz signal bandwidthschannels by bonding two, four, or eight base 20 MHz channels.

Depending on the configuration of the wireless device and the wirelesscommunication network, data packets are transmitted over the wirelesscommunication network via the multiple frequency bands. For example, thesecond frequency band (i.e., the 6 GHz frequency) band is used forcarrying data packets for high-throughput applications using a widerchannel bandwidth (e.g., 80 MHz or greater) whereas the first frequencyband (i.e., the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands) is used for carryingnarrower bandwidth data packets such as uplink data frames or managementdata frames. However, it is understood that the data packets for thehigh-throughput applications and the narrower bandwidth data packets maybe split into the first frequency band and the second frequency bandwithout deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

(2) 320 MHz Bandwidth Channel in an Intra-Band or Inter-Band Mode

FIG. 5 illustrates several modes for implementing and utilizing a 320MHz bandwidth channel in a wireless communication network according toone embodiment. According to the IEEE 802.11ac standard, the 5 GHzfrequency band is defined to cover a frequency range between 5.15 GHzand 5.85 GHz so that the channel bandwidth of the 5 GHz frequency bandis 700 MHz wide. According to one embodiment, the 6 GHz frequency bandis defined to cover a frequency range between 5.925 GHz and 7.125 GHz sothat the available channel bandwidth of the 6 GHz frequency band is 1200MHz side.

According to some embodiments, the wireless communication network inwhich the present wireless devices are implemented can support the 320MHz bandwidth channel in an intra-band mode and an inter-band mode. Inthe intra-band mode, the present wireless devices utilize the 320 MHzbandwidth channel in either the 5 GHz frequency band or the 6 GHzfrequency band. The intra-band mode can be categorized into a contiguousintra-band mode in which the 320 MHz bandwidth channel is assignedcontiguously within the designated frequency band, and a non-contiguousintra-band mode in which the 320 MHz bandwidth channel is split into twoor more narrower frequency bandwidth channels that are separated fromeach other within the designated frequency band.

For example, in the case of the 6 GHz frequency band, the intra-bandcontiguous mode is referred to as 61, whereas the intra-bandnon-contiguous mode is referred to as 62. Although the 320 MHz bandwidthchannel is shown to be aligned with the 5.925 GHz in the present exampleof the 6 GHz intra-band contiguous mode 61, it is understood that the320 MHz bandwidth channel can be assigned anywhere within the 6 GHzfrequency band. Similarly, the intra-band non-contiguous mode 62 can beassigned anywhere within the 6 GHz frequency band as long as the 320 MHzbandwidth channel is split into two or more narrower frequency bands. Itis also possible that a contiguous intra-band mode 65 can include a 320MHz bandwidth channel in the 5 GHz frequency band.

In the inter-band mode, the wireless communication system can beconfigured to utilize at least one channel bandwidth in the in the 5 GHzfrequency band and at least one channel bandwidth in the 6 GHz frequencyband. For example, an inter-band mode 63 has a first 160 MHz bandwidthchannel in the 5 GHz frequency band and a second 160 MHz bandwidthchannel in the 6 GHz frequency band. In another example, an inter-bandmode 64 has two non-contiguous 80 MHz bandwidth channels in the 5 GHzfrequency band and a 160 MHz bandwidth channel in the 6 GHz frequencyband.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart 80 for using the 320 MHz bandwidth channel invarious modes according to some embodiments. The wireless device and/orthe wireless communication network prepare data transmission over a datachannel having 320 MHz bandwidth channel (at 82) and determine toconfigure the 320 MHz bandwidth channel in an intra-band mode or aninter-band mode (at 83). The data channel can be wider than the primarychannel.

In the intra-band mode, one frequency band (either the 5 GHz or 6 GHzfrequency band) is selected to assign the 320 MHz bandwidth channel (at84). The 320 MHz bandwidth channel may be assigned in a contiguous modein either the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band (at 88) or in anon-contiguous mode using two separate 160 MHz subchannels (at 90).According to one embodiment, the two separate 160 MHz subchannels may beassigned only in the 6 GHz frequency band.

In the inter-band mode, multiple frequency bands are selected to assignthe 320 MHz bandwidth channel in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands (at86). The 320 MHz bandwidth channel may be assigned in a non-contiguousmode including a first 160 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz frequency bandand a second 160 MHz subchannel (alternatively two 80 MHz subchannels)in the 6 GHz frequency band (at 92). Alternatively, the 320 MHzbandwidth channel may be assigned in a non-contiguous mode including two80 MHz subchannels in the 5 GHz frequency band and one 160 MHzsubchannel in the 6 GHz frequency band (at 94).

(3) Flexible Band Aggregation

The present systems and methods define flexible band aggregation. Theflexible band aggregation can increase the peak PHY rate, and thestation can monitor multiple primary channels simultaneously to maximizechannel access.

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods supportvarious bandwidth options and flexible band aggregation using multiplesubchannels in the available 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands.The flexible band aggregation may be in any of an inter-band contiguousmode, an intra-band non-contiguous mode, and an inter-bandnon-contiguous mode depending on the size of subchannel bandwidth andthe number of the subchannels.

FIG. 7 illustrates examples of flexible band aggregation according tosome embodiments. An intra-band non-contiguous mode 400 provides achannel bandwidth of 160 MHz including two subchannels of 80 MHzbandwidth in the 5 GHz frequency band. An inter-band non-contiguous mode402 provides a channel bandwidth of 160 MHz including a first 80 MHzsubchannel in the 5 GHz frequency band and a second 80 MHz subchannel inthe 6 GHz frequency band. An inter-band non-contiguous mode 404 providesa channel bandwidth of 80 MHz including a first 40 MHz subchannel in the2.4 GHz frequency band and a second 40 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHzfrequency band. An inter-band non-contiguous mode 406 provides a channelbandwidth of 100 MHz including a 20 MHz subchannel in the 2.4 GHzfrequency band and a 80 MHz subchannel in the 6 GHz (or 5 GHz) frequencyband. An inter-band non-contiguous mode 408 provides a channel bandwidthof 160 MHz including a first 40 MHz subchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequencyband, a second 40 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz frequency band, and one 80MHz subchannel in the 6 GHz (or 5 GHz) frequency band. An inter-bandnon-contiguous mode 410 provides a channel bandwidth of 200 MHzincluding a 40 MHz subchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 160MHz subchannel in the 6 GHz (or 5 GHz) frequency band.

It is understood that many other bandwidth options and subchannelaggregation options are possible without deviating from the scope of thepresent disclosure. For example, the present systems and methods cansupport bandwidth options including, but not limited to, 40 MHz, 60 MHz,80 MHz, 100 MHz, 120 MHz, 160 MHz, 180 MHz, 200 MHz, 240 MHz, and 320MHz frequency bandwidths. Examples of the 40 MHz bandwidth channelinclude, but are not limited to, 1) a first 20 MHz subchannel in the 2.4GHz frequency band and a second 20 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz frequencyband, and 2) two 20 MHz subchannels in the 2.4 GHz frequency band.Examples of the 60 MHz bandwidth channel include, but are not limitedto, 1) a 20 MHz subchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 40 MHzsubchannel in the 5 GHz frequency band, 2) a 40 MHz subchannel in the2.4 GHz frequency band and a 20 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz frequencyband, and 3) two 20 MHz subchannels in the 2.4 GHz frequency band andanother 20 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz frequency band. Another exampleof the 80 MHz bandwidth channel in addition to the inter-bandnon-contiguous mode 404 includes, but is not limited to, two 20 MHzsubchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 40 MHz subchannel in the5 GHz frequency band. Examples of the 120 MHz bandwidth channel include,but are not limited to, 1) a 40 MHz subchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequencyband and a 80 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band, and2) two 20 MHz subchannels in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 80 MHzsubchannel in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band. An example of the 180MHz bandwidth channel includes, but is not limited to, a 20 MHzsubchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 160 MHz subchannel in the5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band. Another example of the 200 MHz bandwidthchannel in addition to the inter-band non-contiguous mode 410 includes,but is not limited to, two 20 MHz subchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequencyband and a 160 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band. Anexample of the 240 MHz bandwidth channel includes, but is not limitedto, a first 80 MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz frequency band, a second 80MHz subchannel in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band, and a third 80 MHzsubchannel in the 5 GHz or 6 GHz frequency band. Some examples of the320 MHz bandwidth channel are shown in FIG. 5.

(4) Primary Channel Configuration

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods definemultiple primary channels. In this case, some STAs can have multipleprimary channels. If one of the primary channels is clear, the STA canaccess the cleared primary channel.

Each of the multiple primary channels may be assigned an inter-bandchannel mode within a corresponding frequency band among the 2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The present systems and methods canprovide multiple primary channels for a wireless station in two or moreof the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The multiple primarychannels can maximize the station's channel accessibility.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart 500 for selecting a primary channel to a wirelessstation according to one embodiment. The wireless station in a wirelesscommunication network is configured to support a multiple frequency bandoperation in multiple frequency bands (at 502). For example, themultiple frequency bands includes at least one of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHzfrequency bands and the 6 GHz frequency band. Depending on the multiplefrequency bands assigned, multiple primary channels are assigned to thewireless station (at 504). The wireless station can monitor availabilityand accessibility of the multiple primary channels (at 506). If aprimary channel among the multiple primary channels is available (at508), the wireless station accesses the frequency band of the availableprimary channel for data communication with another wireless station oran access point (at 510). In some case, the access point and thewireless station can negotiate/enable only one of the primary channels.For example, if the wireless station enters an idle mode, the accesspoint may send data via a primary channel of a lower frequency band.

(4b) Station-Specific Primary Channel

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods provide astation-specific primary channel. The station-specific primary channelcan enable load balancing especially for a wide channel bandwidth. Forexample, in an existing system, within a 160 MHz basic service set(BSS), there is only one primary channel. If only few of the wirelessstations support the 160 MHz bandwidth, then a secondary 80 MHz would beunusable because all the data packet transmission need to include theprimary channel. For example, if STAs operate on the 80 MHz mode, thesecond 80 MHz bandwidth (without primary channel) cannot be used. Ifthere is another primary channel on the second 80 MHz bandwidth, someSTA can be assigned to the second 80 MHz bandwidth, and there will bemore chance to utilize the second 80 MHz channel. In this embodiment,there can be one primary channel for some wireless stations in the lower80 MHz channel and another primary channel for other wireless stationsin the upper 80 MHz channel. Because different wireless stations in thesame BSS bandwidth (e.g., the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands)can communicate on different 80 MHz frequency bands within the same BSSbandwidth, the access point can load balance across the whole operationband.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart 520 for assigning station-specific primarychannels to a plurality of wireless stations according to oneembodiment. An access point assigns a first primary channel (e.g., anupper 80 MHz frequency band within a BSS bandwidth) to a first wirelessstation and a second primary channel (e.g., a lower 80 MHz frequencyband within the same BSS bandwidth) to a second wireless station (at522). Each of the first and second wireless stations monitors its ownprimary channel (at 524). The first wireless station transmits datapackets when the first primary channel is available (at 526), and thesecond wireless stations transmits data packets when the second primarychannel is available (at 528). The processes 522-528 repeats. The accesspoint may assign the first primary channel to the second wirelessstation or assign the second primary channel to the first wirelessstation to balance the workload. The access point may assign the firstprimary channel or the second primary channel to a new wireless stationdepending on the load in each of the first and second primary channels.

(4c) Multiple Resource Unit Allocation

According one embodiment, the present wireless systems and methodsutilize orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) to supportmultiple users. Resource unit (RU) in OFDMA used in the IEEE 802.11axstandard denotes a group of subcarriers (or tones) used in both downlink(DL) and uplink transmissions. With OFDMA, different transmit powers maybe applied to different RUs. There are maximum of 9 RUs for a 20 MHzchannel, 18 in case of a 40 MHz channel and more in case of a 80 or 160MHz channel. The RUs enable an access point to allow multiple users toaccess the access point simultaneously and efficiently. In the IEEE802.11ax standard, each STA can only be allocated to one RU.

According to one embodiment, multiple RUs can be allocated to a singlewireless station. Multiple RU allocation provides more flexible andefficient utilization of the available channels.

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods supportmultiple resource unit allocation. For example, the present systems andmethods support 26-tone RU plus 26-tone RU, 26-tone RU plus 52-tone RU,242-tone RU plus 996-tone RU, etc. allocated to a single wirelessstation.

(5) Multiple Frequency Band Operation

According to one embodiment, the present systems and method utilizemultiple channels across the tri-frequency bands including 2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands to increase the Wi-Fi throughput. TheWi-Fi throughput increase may be achieved in various ways, for example,by providing simultaneous active links on multiple frequency bands orproviding separate uplink and downlink in separate frequency bands.

(5a) Simultaneous Active Links on Multiple Frequency Bands

According to one embodiment, the access point and the wireless stationmaintain more than one active links. For example, two active links inthe 2.4 GHz and 6 GHz frequency bands are assigned to one wirelessstation. In another example, two active links in the 5 GHz and 6 GHzfrequency bands are assigned to another wireless station. The accesspoint and the wireless station can exchange data packets over themultiple channels in more than one frequency bands to increase the datathroughput. The multiple frequency band data transmission may be done ina synchronous manner or an asynchronous manner.

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods allowsimultaneous transmission of data packets across the multiple frequencybands of the active links. In a synchronous multiple frequency band datatransmission scheme, the simultaneous transmission of data packetsacross the multiple frequency bands can increase a peak PHY rate.

FIG. 10A illustrates an example of a synchronous multiple band datatransmission scheme according to one embodiment. In the present example,a 140 MHz channel is assigned to a wireless station including a channel140 having a 20 MHz bandwidth in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, a channel142 having a 40 MHz bandwidth in the 5 GHz frequency band, and a channel144 having a 80 MHz bandwidth in the 6 GHz frequency band.

The wireless station can synchronously transmit data packets on themultiple channels in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands whenall of the multiple channels are idle. If any of the multiple channelsis busy, the wireless station may defer the data transmission until allof the multiple channels become idle. If one or more of the multiplechannels are busy, there will be a less chance to access the multiplechannels simultaneously.

In the present example, three multiple channels are shown in each of the2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands with different bandwidthchannels. However, it is understood that different sizes and number ofmultiple channels may be used without deviating from the scope of thepresent disclosure. For example, a 320 MHz channel may include a first160 MHz channel in the 5 GHz frequency band and a second 160 MHz channelin the 6 GHz frequency band.

FIG. 10B illustrates an example of an asynchronous multiple frequencyband transmission scheme according to one embodiment. Similar to theexample of FIG. 10A, a 140 MHz channel is assigned to a wireless stationincluding a channel 150 having a 20 MHz bandwidth in the 2.4 GHzfrequency band, a channel 152 having a 40 MHz bandwidth in the 5 GHzfrequency band, and a channel 154 having a 80 MHz bandwidth in the 6 GHzfrequency band. Instead of waiting for all of the channels 150, 152, and154 becomes idle, the wireless station may asynchronously transmit datapackets in any one or more frequency bands when at least one channel ofthe multiple channels is idle. This approach increases a chance toaccess the medium and results in higher throughput compared to thesynchronous approach when the medium is busy. This can also increase theeffective media access control (MAC) throughput. Since the asynchronousmultiple frequency band channel access in the unlicensed spectrum (i.e.,the 6 GHz frequency band), it can also increase the throughput comparedto the current IEEE 802.11 ax standard. In addition, the simultaneousactive links on multiple frequency bands increases reliability becausethe wireless station may transmit packets with same MAC Protocol DataUnits (MPDUs) in different channels.

(5b) Separate Uplink and Downlink in Separate Frequency Bands

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods provideseparate uplink (station to access point) and downlink (access point tostation) in separate frequency bands.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of using separate uplink and downlinkchannels in separate frequency bands according to one embodiment. A 20MHz channel is assigned in either the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5GHz frequency band, and a 80 MHz channel is assigned in the 6 GHzfrequency band. Since an access point has a higher transmit power than astation, downlink may use the wide 80 MHz frequency band in the 6 GHzfrequency band, and uplink may use a narrow 20 MHz frequency either inthe 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency band. Different bandwidths for each of themultiple frequency bands may be used without deviating from the scope ofthe present disclosure. The separation of uplink and downlink indifferent frequency bands can eliminate a link asymmetry problem betweenuplink and downlink that may occur when the same frequency bands areused for uplink and downlink.

(6) Management Frames and Data Frames in Separate Bands

According to one embodiment, the present systems and methods useseparate management plane and data plane in different frequency bands.The separation of the management and data frames would unclutter the 6GHz frequency band that carries large data frames with small managementframes that can degrade the throughput.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example of providing separate channels fortransmitting management and data frames in separate frequency bandsaccording to one embodiment. Management frames are small compared todata frames. The management plane includes management frametransmissions such as beacon, association request/response, proberequest/response. The data plane includes data frame transmissions.

According to one embodiment, management frames may be transmitted in the2.4 or 5 GHz frequency band while data frames that are typically largerthan management frames for high-throughput applications may betransmitted in the 6 GHz frequency band. In some embodiments, dataframes may be transmitted in the 2.4 and/or 5 GHz frequency band(s) inaddition to the 6 GHz frequency band. For example, Data/BlockAckexchange frames can be in a same channel (e.g., the 6 GHz frequencyband) or BlockAck transmission may be delayed and transmitted on adifferent channel (e.g., the 2.4 or 5 GHz frequency band) as a responseto a BlockAck Request.

Separate transmission of management frames and data frames in differentfrequency bands may achieve a high data throughput. Simultaneousoperation in the 5 GHz and the 6 GHz frequency bands may need a carefulselection of the channels due to closer proximity compared to the 2.4/5GHz and the 2.4/6 GHz frequency bands.

Access Point Multiple Frequency Band Communication Method

FIG. 13 is a flowchart 200 for enabling an access point to communicateon multiple frequency bands in a single BSS according to one embodiment.The access point supports all of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequencybands. The access point transmits a beacon only in the 2.4 GHz and/or 5GHz frequency bands to wireless stations in a wireless communicationnetwork (at 202). The beacon or a management packet may indicate theaccess point's capability of operating on multiple frequency channels(at 204). The access point listens to all of the supporting channels inthe multiple frequency bands concurrently to check if any packet isreceived from any of the associated wireless stations (at 206). If theaccess point receives a packet (at 208), the access point processes thereceived packet and responds as needed (at 210). After processing thereceived packets, the access point continues to listen to all of thesupporting channels in the multiple frequency bands (at 206). If theaccess point receives no packet (at 208), the access point checks ifthere is a data packet to transmit to a wireless station (at 212). Ifthere is a data packet to transmit, the access point checks if thereceiving wireless station supports multiple frequency bands (at 218).If the wireless station supports multiple frequency bands, the accesspoint transmits the data packet on available channels of the 2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and/or 6 GHz frequency bands synchronously or asynchronouslyconforming to channel access rules (at 222), otherwise the access pointtransmits the data packet on a specific channel that the wirelessstation supports (at 220). If there is no data packet to transmit, theaccess point checks if there is a management packet to transmit to thewireless station (at 214). If there is a management packet to transmit(at 214), the access point transmits the management packet on one of thechannels of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands (at 216).After processing the data packet or the management packet, the accesspoint listens to all of the supporting channels in the multiplefrequency bands concurrently to check if a packet is received from anyof the associated wireless stations (at 206).

Wireless Station Multiple Frequency Band Communication Method

FIG. 14 is a flowchart 300 for enabling a wireless station tocommunicate on multiple frequency bands in a single BSS according to oneembodiment. The wireless station supports two or more of the 2.4 GHz, 5GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The wireless station scans for a beaconfrom an access point or transmit a probe request packet to any accesspoint in a wireless communication network (at 302). The wireless stationassociates to an access point and exchange multiple frequency bandsupport capability information indicating that the wireless stationsupport two or more of the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands (at304). The wireless station listens to all of the supporting channels inthe multiple frequency bands concurrently to check if any packet isreceived from any of the associated access points (at 306). If thewireless station receives a packet (at 308), the wireless stationprocesses the received packet and responds as needed (at 310). Afterprocessing the received packets, the wireless station continues tolisten to all of the supporting channels in the multiple frequency bands(at 306). If the wireless station receives no packet (at 308), thewireless station checks if there is a data packet to transmit to anaccess point (at 312). If there is a data packet to transmit, thewireless station checks if the link budget is sufficient to use the 6GHz frequency band (at 316). If the link budget is sufficient to use the6 GHz frequency band, the wireless station transmits the data packet onavailable channels of the 6 GHz frequency band synchronously orasynchronously (at 320), otherwise the wireless station transmits thedata packet on any available channels of the 2.4 GHz frequency band orthe 5 GHz frequency band (at 318). If there is no data packet totransmit, the wireless station checks if there is a management packet totransmit to the access point (at 314). If there is a management packetto transmit (at 314), the wireless station transmits the managementpacket on one of the channels of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands(at 318). After processing the data packet or the management packet, thewireless station listens to all of the supporting channels in themultiple frequency bands concurrently to check if a packet is receivedfrom any of the associated access points (at 306).

According to one embodiment, a method for allowing wirelesscommunication between an access point and a wireless station in awireless communication network includes: providing at least one from acombination of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequency band;providing a frequency band including a 6 GHz frequency band for allowingwireless data communication; assigning a first data communicationchannel having a first frequency bandwidth in the frequency bandincluding the 6 GHz frequency band between the access point and thewireless station; and transmitting data packets between the access pointand the wireless station via the first data communication channel in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band. Each of the 2.4 GHzfrequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band includes a plurality ofsubchannels having a first base frequency bandwidth of 20 MHz, and thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band includes a pluralityof subchannels having a second base frequency bandwidth that is largerthan the first base frequency bandwidth.

The frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band may range from5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz. The second base frequency bandwidth may be 80MHz. The data packets may be transmitted via two or more subchannelsthat are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first data communicationchannel.

The method may further include: assigning a second data communicationchannel having a second frequency bandwidth in the 2.4 GHz frequencyband or the 5 GHz frequency band between the access point and thewireless station; and transmitting the data packets between the accesspoint and the wireless station via the second data communication channelin the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band.

The data packets may be transmitted partly in the first datacommunication channel and partly in the second data communicationchannel, and a sum of the first frequency bandwidth and the secondfrequency bandwidth may be up to 320 MHz or smaller.

A first portion of the data packets transmitted partly in the first datacommunication channel may be split into a first group of subchannelsthat are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first data communicationchannel, and a second portion of the data packets transmitted partly inthe second data communication channel may be split into a second groupof subchannels that are contiguous or non-contiguous in the second datacommunication channel.

The method may further include: assigning a plurality of primarychannels for the wireless station in the frequency band including the 6GHz frequency band and at least one of the 2.4 GHz frequency band andthe 5 GHz frequency band; monitoring the plurality of primary channelsand determining an available primary channel among the plurality ofprimary channels; and accessing a frequency band of the availableprimary channel.

The method may further include: assigning a primary channel for thewireless station in the frequency band including the 6 GHz frequencyband; assigning a second primary channel for a second wireless stationin the wireless communication network in one or more of the 2.4 GHzfrequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band; and transmitting the datapackets between the access point and the second wireless station via thesecond data communication channel including the channel containing thesecond primary channel.

The method may further include: synchronously transmitting portions ofthe data packets between the access point and the wireless station viaboth the first data communication channel in the frequency bandincluding the 6 GHz frequency band and the second data communicationchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band whenboth the first data communication channel and the second datacommunication channel are idle.

The method may further include: asynchronously transmitting portions ofthe data packets between the access point and the wireless station viaboth the first data communication channel in the frequency bandincluding the 6 GHz frequency band and the second data communicationchannel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band whenany of the first data communication channel and the second datacommunication channel is idle.

The method may further include: transmitting downlink data frames viathe first data communication channel in the frequency band including the6 GHz frequency band; and transmitting uplink data frames via the seconddata communication channel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHzfrequency band.

The method may further include: transmitting data frames via the firstdata communication channel in the frequency band including the 6 GHzfrequency band; and transmitting management frames via the second datacommunication channel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHzfrequency band.

According to another embodiment, a wireless data communication systemincludes: an access point; and a wireless station capable ofcommunicating with the access point. The wireless communication systemprovides at least one of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequencyband for allowing wireless data communication between the access pointand the wireless station, and wherein each of the 2.4 GHz frequency bandand the 5 GHz frequency band includes a plurality of subchannels havinga first base frequency bandwidth of 20 MHz. The wireless communicationsystem further provides a frequency band including a 6 GHz frequencyband for allowing wireless data communication between the access pointand the wireless station, and wherein the frequency band including the 6GHz frequency band includes a plurality of subchannels having a secondbase frequency bandwidth that is larger than the first base frequencybandwidth. The wireless communication system assigns a first datacommunication channel having a first frequency bandwidth in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band between the accesspoint and the wireless station. The wireless communication systemtransmits data packets between the access point and the wireless stationvia the first data communication channel in the frequency band includingthe 6 GHz frequency band.

The frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band may range from5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz. The second base frequency bandwidth may be 80MHz. The data packets may be transmitted via two or more subchannelsthat are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first data communicationchannel.

The wireless communication system may further: assign a second datacommunication channel having a second frequency bandwidth in the 2.4 GHzfrequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band between the access point andthe wireless station; and transmit the data packets between the accesspoint and the wireless station via the second data communication channelin the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band.

The data packets may be transmitted partly in the first datacommunication channel and partly in the second data communicationchannel, and a sum of the first frequency bandwidth and the secondfrequency bandwidth may be up to 320 MHz or smaller.

A first portion of the data packets transmitted partly in the first datacommunication channel may be split into a first group of subchannelsthat are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first data communicationchannel, and a second portion of the data packets transmitted partly inthe second data communication channel may be split into a second groupof subchannels that are contiguous or non-contiguous in the second datacommunication channel.

The present disclosure can be implemented in numerous ways, including asa process; an apparatus; a system; a composition of matter; a computerprogram product embodied on a computer readable storage medium; and/or aprocessor, such as a hardware processor or a processor device configuredto execute instructions stored on and/or provided by a memory coupled tothe processor. In this specification, these implementations, or anyother form that the present disclosure may take, may be referred to astechniques. In general, the order of the steps of disclosed processesmay be altered within the scope of the present disclosure. Unless statedotherwise, a component such as a processor or a memory described asbeing configured to perform a task may be implemented as a generalcomponent that is temporarily configured to perform the task at a giventime or a specific component that is manufactured to perform the task.As used herein, the term ‘processor’ refers to one or more devices,circuits, and/or processing cores configured to process data, such ascomputer program instructions.

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the presentdisclosure is provided below along with accompanying figures thatillustrate the principles of the present disclosure. The presentdisclosure is described in connection with such embodiments, but thepresent disclosure is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of thepresent disclosure is limited only by the claims and the presentdisclosure encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications andequivalents. Numerous specific details are set forth in the followingdescription in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presentdisclosure. These details are provided for the purpose of example andthe present disclosure may be practiced according to the claims withoutsome or all of these specific details. For the purpose of clarity,technical material that is known in the technical fields related to thepresent disclosure has not been described in detail so that the presentdisclosure is not unnecessarily obscured.

The above detailed descriptions are provided to illustrate specificembodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to belimiting. Numerous modifications and variations within the scope of thepresent disclosure are possible. The present disclosure is defined bythe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: providing at least one froma combination of a 2.4 GHz frequency band and a 5 GHz frequency band forallowing wireless data communication between an access point and awireless station in a wireless communication network, wherein each ofthe 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band includes aplurality of subchannels having a first base frequency bandwidth of 20MHz; providing a frequency band including a 6 GHz frequency band forallowing wireless data communication between the access point and thewireless station in the wireless communication network, wherein thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band includes a pluralityof subchannels having a second base frequency bandwidth that is largerthan the first base frequency bandwidth; assigning a first datacommunication channel having a first frequency bandwidth in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band between the accesspoint and the wireless station; and transmitting data packets betweenthe access point and the wireless station via the first datacommunication channel in the frequency band including the 6 GHzfrequency band.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the frequency bandincluding the 6 GHz frequency band ranges from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second base frequency bandwidth is80 MHz.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packets aretransmitted via two or more subchannels that are contiguous ornon-contiguous in the first data communication channel.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: assigning a second data communicationchannel having a second frequency bandwidth in the 2.4 GHz frequencyband or the 5 GHz frequency band between the access point and thewireless station; and transmitting the data packets between the accesspoint and the wireless station via the second data communication channelin the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band.
 6. The methodof claim 5, wherein the data packets are transmitted partly in the firstdata communication channel and partly in the second data communicationchannel, and a sum of the first frequency bandwidth and the secondfrequency bandwidth is up to 320 MHz or smaller.
 7. The method of claim6, wherein a first portion of the data packets transmitted partly in thefirst data communication channel is split into a first group ofsubchannels that are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first datacommunication channel, and a second portion of the data packetstransmitted partly in the second data communication channel is splitinto a second group of subchannels that are contiguous or non-contiguousin the second data communication channel.
 8. The method of claim 5,further comprising: assigning a plurality of primary channels for thewireless station in the frequency band including the 6 GHz frequencyband and at least one of the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHzfrequency band; monitoring the plurality of primary channels anddetermining an available primary channel among the plurality of primarychannels; and accessing a frequency band of the available primarychannel.
 9. The method of claim 5, further comprising: assigning aprimary channel for the wireless station in the frequency band includingthe 6 GHz frequency band; assigning a second primary channel for asecond wireless station in the wireless communication network in one ormore of the 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band; andtransmitting the data packets between the access point and the secondwireless station via the second data communication channel including thesecond primary channel.
 10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:synchronously transmitting portions of the data packets between theaccess point and the wireless station via both the first datacommunication channel in the frequency band including the 6 GHzfrequency band and the second data communication channel in the 2.4 GHzfrequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band when both the first datacommunication channel and the second data communication channel areidle.
 11. The method of claim 5, further comprising: asynchronouslytransmitting portions of the data packets between the access point andthe wireless station via both the first data communication channel inthe frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band and the seconddata communication channel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHzfrequency band when any of the first data communication channel and thesecond data communication channel is idle.
 12. The method of claim 5,further comprising: transmitting downlink data frames via the first datacommunication channel in the frequency band including the 6 GHzfrequency band; and transmitting uplink data frames via the second datacommunication channel in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHzfrequency band.
 13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:transmitting data frames via the first data communication channel in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band; and transmittingmanagement frames via the second data communication channel in the 2.4GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band.
 14. A wireless datacommunication system comprising: an access point; and a wireless stationcapable of communicating with the access point, wherein the wirelesscommunication system provides at least one of a 2.4 GHz frequency bandand a 5 GHz frequency band for allowing wireless data communicationbetween the access point and the wireless station, and wherein each ofthe 2.4 GHz frequency band and the 5 GHz frequency band includes aplurality of subchannels having a first base frequency bandwidth of 20MHz, wherein the wireless communication system further provides afrequency band including a 6 GHz frequency band for allowing wirelessdata communication between the access point and the wireless station,and wherein the frequency band including the 6 GHz frequency bandincludes a plurality of subchannels having a second base frequencybandwidth that is larger than the first base frequency bandwidth;wherein the wireless communication system assigns a first datacommunication channel having a first frequency bandwidth in thefrequency band including the 6 GHz frequency band between the accesspoint and the wireless station; and wherein the wireless communicationsystem transmits data packets between the access point and the wirelessstation via the first data communication channel in the frequency bandincluding the 6 GHz frequency band.
 15. The wireless data communicationsystem of claim 14, wherein the frequency band including the 6 GHzfrequency band ranges from 5.925 GHz to 7.125 GHz.
 16. The wireless datacommunication system of claim 14, wherein the second base frequencybandwidth is 80 MHz.
 17. The wireless data communication system of claim14, wherein the data packets are transmitted via two or more subchannelsthat are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first data communicationchannel.
 18. The wireless data communication system of claim 17, whereinthe wireless communication system further: assigns a second datacommunication channel having a second frequency bandwidth in the 2.4 GHzfrequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band between the access point andthe wireless station; and transmits the data packets between the accesspoint and the wireless station via the second data communication channelin the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band.
 19. Thewireless data communication system of claim 18, wherein the data packetsare transmitted partly in the first data communication channel andpartly in the second data communication channel, and a sum of the firstfrequency bandwidth and the second frequency bandwidth is up to 320 MHzor smaller.
 20. The wireless data communication system of claim 19,wherein a first portion of the data packets transmitted partly in thefirst data communication channel is split into a first group ofsubchannels that are contiguous or non-contiguous in the first datacommunication channel, and a second portion of the data packetstransmitted partly in the second data communication channel is splitinto a second group of subchannels that are contiguous or non-contiguousin the second data communication channel.